Camera testing and assembling machine



Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

F RED M4 PO WEL L WAYNE A. WIGHT W/LL 64M C FL A/VAGAN INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3 F '9- 4 FRED W POWELL -WAY/V K. WIGHT WILL/AM C FLA/VAGA/V INVENTORS Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE l9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 23, 1958 FRED W POWELL WAYNE K W/GHT W/LL/AMC FLA/V1464 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 ST 3 E J #3 m5 T fi 5 n V H W L m8 93 W m V 1 \Q% VMQ W\\ J r V V m? Nu m2 m MS W mfi 1 efi A \3 m! 5 QQ J hww WE w m! VN\ -85 mm EN I- 3w mm FRED n. POWELL WAYNE K. WIGHT WILL/AM C. FLA/VAGA/V INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE 19 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 23, 1958 FRED w POWELL WILL/AM c. FLAA/AGA/V INVENTORS Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ET AL 3,

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 6 FRED n4 POWELL m4 WAYNE 1r. WIGHT W/LL/AM a FLA/VAGA/V INVENTORS ,52 www L g BY Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ET AL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE l9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed May 23, 1958 FRED W POWELL WAYNE K WIGHT WILL/AM C FLA/VAGAN INVENTORS ATTORN Y5 Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ET AL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE l9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 23, 1958 FRED W. POWELL WAYNE K. WIGHT WILL/AM C FLA/VAGAN mVENTORS Y %M/M Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE l9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed May 25, 1958 INVENTORS BY %M /Mx/ m. E W 0 P w W F ATTORNEY Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ET AL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE l9 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed May 23, 1958 M w m owm P m KLN w FE 5 /4 wwwMMm m m m W Y B Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 11 "2 MOTOR M0701? 1 START 570p /%o oa 17.9 ::m IPBISTART i 4 5/3 5 R I 9 1M HP P/2 FRED Ml POWELL WAYNE K. WIGHT WILL/AM 6. FLA/VAGA/V INVENTORS BYXMM gi 7% Oct. 10, 1961 19 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed May 23, 1958 illllk IIIIIIAEZ FRED n4 POWELL WAYNE If. WIGHT WILL/AM C FLANAGA/V INVENTORS A T TOR/VEYS Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1958 19 Shets$heet 1:5

F RED K. POWELL WILL /AM 6 FL ANA G'A/V INVENTORS BY 6mm ms Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ET AL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE 19 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed May 23, 1958 man m POWELL WAYNE K WIGHT 9 WILLIAM a. FLAIVAGAN 89 INVENTORS 2; l ATTORNE s Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3, 2

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet l5 Q FRED I POWELL m g; WAYNE 1r. WIGHT W R A U) L- BY S ATTOR/VZ Y8 Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ETAL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 16 :1 K 1 m J wmm ||||C|l R J if M Mm |w .KHN .ll W E E .W IINHHHHIIIIIII Mme 2n RAM n F M l- L g M U l I Y illm HHW ."WIULJTQ NR MR 98 P8 kw WY m3 mm Em o km R 7U: mans whwu Fl nn.-

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CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE l9 Sheets-Sheet 1''! Filed May 25, 1958 FRED W POWELL WAYNE K. WIGHT W/LL/AM C FLAIVAGA/V INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ET AL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 18 FRED I44 POWELL WAY/V5 K. WIGHT l WILL/AM a FLA/VAGA/V INVENTORS BY %m Oct. 10, 1961 F. w. POWELL ET AL 3,003,229

CAMERA TESTING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE 19 Sheets-Sheet 19 Filed May 23, 1958 3 Shutter 688 Tripping .344

r Valve crimp.280

Vucuum spool .280 We juws 0 FRED n. POWELL WA rA/E K. WIGHT WILL/AM a l-LAA/AGAA/ INVENTORS BY M I 2 PROGRAM SWITCH OPERATING SEQUENCE D/AQRAM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3 003,229 CAMERA TESTING ASSEMBLING MACHINE Fred W. Powell, Wayne K. Wight, and William C. Flanagan, Rochester, N.Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N .Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 23, 1958, Ser. No. 737,447 14 Claims. (Cl. 29-208) The present invention relates to a semi-automatic ma chine for partially assembling a well-known box camera, making certain tests of the camera mechanism and assembly during the assembly operation, and sorting out those units which fail certain of the tests for one reason or another.

A well-known box camera on the market has a flash shutter which is cocked when the film is wound and has a double exposure prevention mechanism, well known in the art and hereinafter referred to as a d.e.p. mechanism, which prevents a second actuation of the shutter until the film is advanced. This camera is made of a plastic material and comprises a front to which the shutter mechanism is mounted in covering relation to an exposure aperture, and a back having the usual red window for observing the exposure numbers on the film. The back is assembled in a light-tight manner to the front by means of metal clips which clamp over mating undercut tongues on the sides of each of these parts when they are placed one on the other. Furthermore, the shutter mechanism on the front wall is covered and protected by a metal plate which is riveted in place on the camera front.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a semi-automatic machine which will make certain subassemblies as to the camera front and the camera back, and then assemble the completed backs onto the completed fronts in a continuous operation.

Another object is to provide a machine of the type described which is adapted to perform certain mechanical and electrical tests on the shutter, and to automatically reject from the assembly line, before the back is assembled to the front, any shutter which fails to meet any one of certain specified requirements.

And still another object is to provide a machine of the type described which classifies the rejects according to the type of failure, so that the rejects can be readily inspected or repaired without checking them for all the tests.

And another object is to provide a machine of the type described wherein the camera parts are moved successively through a plurality of stations where the dilterent tests are performed and the subassemblies are assembled together in an automatic manner.

And yet another object is to provide a camera assembling and testing machine of the type described in which the camera =fronts with the shutter assembled thereon are intermittently picked olf a feed conveyor and fed onto successive fixtures or holders carried at spaced intervals on an endless chain which is intermittently indexed through a plurality of stations Where a shutter cover plate is assembled to the camera front and tests of the shutter are made. Those shutters failing the tests are automatically picked 01f their holder and placed in selected reject chutes. At a later station the red window is mounted in the camera backs fed to the machine by a conveyor and then the completed back is automatically picked up and placed on a front which has passed all inspections. The back pickup mechanism is automatically incapacitated when an empty fixture approaches this station so that no back will be placed on an empty fixture. The combined fronts and backs are then indexed to an assembly station where metal clips are automatically placed on and clamped over tongues on both parts to hold the fronts and backs together. At a succeeding station the assem- "ice bly of the two camera parts are tested and if they are not firmly clamped, the machine is automatically stopped so that this unit can be removed. The assembled backs and fronts then move to a take-oil station where they pass to further assembly operations. The fixtures then index on to the load position where another front is applied and the complete operation is repeated.

The novel features that we consider characteristic of our invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its mode of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged elevational view of the interior of a camera tlront containing a shutter which this machine is adapted to test and assemble, and showing the shutter in a cocked condition;

FIG. 2 is a partial view corresponding to FIG. 1, but showing the shutter in a released condition;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the camera front with a cover plate mounted in covering reiation with the shutter mechanism;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the camera from looking at it from the outside, or the side opposite to that shown in FIG. 3; 7

FIG. 5 is an elevational view looking into the camera back which is to be assembled onto the camera front shown in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the camera back taken substantially on line s-s of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the red window which is adapted to be mounted in the hole in the camera back;

FIG. 8 is a sectional detail showing how the red window is assembled into the hole in the camera back by the machine of this invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional detail showing how mating tongues on the camera back and camera front joint when the camera fronts and camera backs are assembled one on the other by the present machine;

FIG. 19 is a vertical section of the metal clip which is slipped onto the mating tongues on the two camera parts and erimped over to hold the parts in assembled relation;

FIG. 10A is a side elevational view of an assembled camera front and camera back made on the present machine;

FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of the entire assembling and testing machine constmcted in accordance with the present invention, and showing the relative location of the twenty-four stations through which the camera parts are moved for assembly and testing purposes;

FIG. 11A is a schematic elevational detail of the reject chute of the machine showing how the different doors are operated to classify the rejects according to type;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional detail taken substantially on line 12-12 of FIG. 11, and showing the drive and supporting mechanism for the fixtures for carrying the carnera parts as well as the mechanism for staking the cover plate over the shutter mechanism;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the machine showing the drive mechanism for the indexing chain and the cam shaft;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are plan and side elevational views, respectively, of the camera supporting fixture, in a closed condition;

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the fixture in an open position to receive or permit take-off of a camera part;

FIG. 17 is an enlar ed view taken substantially on line 17--17 of FIG. ll showing stations I and XXI or the 

